The United Kingdom goes onto daylight saving time once again on 28 October. Here’s an excerpt from my book, The Great Daylight Saving Time Controversy, on the lead-up to the United Kingdom’s experiment with permanent daylight saving time or GMT+1 in 1968-71. The move was controversial and almost straightaway there were various studies and moves to rescind it. …

The question of harmonising British time with Europe came up again in parliament in 1963. Most of the Continent didn’t have daylight saving at that time although many countries such as France, Belgium and the Netherlands were effectively on year round summer time with clocks 40-50 minutes ahead of the sun in their capital cities. The United Kingdom was on the same time as its European trading partners for seven months each year but was one hour behind in the other five months. Support for staying on GMT+1 all year was strong among business and workers as shown by the 1960 survey but not among the farming community or the education sector. By late December, sunrise wouldn’t be until after 9 a.m. in London and around 9:45 a.m. in Edinburgh.

In general, the tide of opinion was thought to be moving in the direction of keeping the clocks forward. In October 1966, just before the end of daylight saving, a motion was introduced into the House of Commons to align with Western Europe all year:

“That this House, recognising the success of the experimental extensions to the period of British Summer Time and that reversion to Greenwich Mean Time will unnecessarily hamper commercial communication with Europe, urges Her Majesty’s Government to bring Great Britain into line with Europe by adopting British Summer Time, mid-European time, throughout the whole year.”[1]

Home secretary Roy Jenkins undertook a review into the matter in 1966 and 1967, consulting with 87 organisations in agriculture, industry, commerce, construction, energy, education, travel, health, sport, women’s groups, local government, and other areas. He was able to report in March that the Trades Union Congress supported the proposal. The congress had been in favour of continuous daylight saving back in 1960. Jenkins finished his inquiry and was satisfied that shifting the United Kingdom’s time zone to GMT+1 after the end of summer time in 1968 would be in the best interests of the country. An announcement to this effect was made on 22 June 1967.

There seemed to be little backlash to what would in effect be a move to ongoing daylight saving time. Even the Farmers’ Union of Scotland more or less accepted the decision, with president Mr C Young stating: “We do not like it and we do not see the need for it, but we will put up with it if it is in the national interest.” A public opinion poll found that 45 per cent of people approved of the government’s proposal while 25 per cent didn’t want any change and 27 per cent had no particular view.

Daylight saving in 1968 would commence on the earlier date of 18 February for several reasons. It would accustom people to the new time before a permanent change. Sunrise in London would be at about the same clock time, just after 8 a.m., as in late December. Sunset would be 6:20 p.m., after peak traffic, which should mean fewer road deaths and injuries. Clocks would then remain one hour ahead rather than being wound back in October.

A name was needed for the proposed new time arrangement as British Summer Time would no longer be appropriate. Home secretary James Callaghan called for suggestions from members, the media and the public as to what the new time should be called. He received over 100 different names, such as British European Time, British Standard Time, Central European Time, Mid-European Time, Western European Time, Churchill Time, Willett Time, Advance Time, Advanced Meridian Time, Civil Time, Common Time, Mean Civil Time, and Permanent Time. Names that included Greenwich were Advanced Greenwich Time, Greenwich Advanced Time, Greenwich Ante-Meridianal Time, Greenwich British Time, Greenwich Global Time, Greenwich Less One, Greenwich Mean Time Advanced, Greenwich Plus Time, Greenwich Time, New Greenwich Mean Time, and Plus Greenwich. Some novelty names included Orbitim, Orbitime, Orbitum, Same All the Year Round Time, Solar Plus, Solar Time, and Solextra.

Two newspapers ran naming competitions and British Standard Time was selected by one paper as the most favoured choice by far. Callaghan agreed with it. The name was the standout choice in the government poll too, being more than five times as popular as the second favourite pick. In the House of Lords, 61 preferred British Standard Time to Advanced Greenwich Time and 49 favoured the latter. Greenwich Mean Time would be retained for astronomy, meteorology and navigation.

The British Standard Time Bill was introduced into the House of Lords in November 1967. Minister of state Lord Stonham stressed that the proposed change in time zone wasn’t so much due to the United Kingdom trying to join the European Economic Community but to expected improvements in the overall economy after weighing up the advantages for productivity, energy, communication and transport with the disadvantages for agriculture and construction. On the social side were the greater opportunities for outdoor sport and other activities, the expected reduction in road accidents, relative safety for school children heading to school in the dark compared with walking home after nightfall, and not having to alter the clocks twice a year. After a lengthy debate, the bill passed the second reading by 49 votes to 13. Later it was read a third time and sent to the Commons where an even longer debate was followed by a 179 to 61 second reading vote at about 11 p.m.

The bill was eventually passed and became the British Standard Time Act 1968 on 26 July. Plenty of concerns remained, such as children in the north walking to school in the dark who would be encouraged to wear reflective armbands as well as vests and cuffs for visibility, especially as some local governments turned off street lighting at midnight. By May 1968, secretary of state for Scotland William Ross had received 114 representations from local councils, churches, agricultural and other organisations, private firms and individuals against moving permanently to GMT+1 and none in support of it. A few representations had been received by the Home Department from England, three from Wales and none from Northern Ireland by late in the year.

After more than 50 years of daylight saving, the United Kingdom abandoned the practice and instead shifted to GMT+1, which would be used 12 months of the year, initially as a three year trial from 27 October 1968.

Much of Australia goes onto daylight saving time this Sunday. This includes New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory, but not Queensland, Western Australia and Northern Territory which do not have daylight saving. It is usually reported that all of Australia first had daylight saving time on 1 January 1917 under federal legislation during World War I. Tasmania actually had daylight saving from 1 October 1916. It also had daylight saving in 1917-18 and 1918-19 when the rest of Australia stayed on standard time and this is not commonly reported either.

The following excerpt is from my book, The Great Daylight Saving Time Controversy, and is from the start of the 13 page chapter on Tasmania, ‘Apple Isle leads the way’.

“Tasmania was the first Australian state to introduce daylight saving time. This took place in October 1916, three months before federal legislation put the other five states, New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia, on daylight saving in January 1917. The Apple Isle turned its clocks forward for three summers during World War I, 1916-17, 1917-18 and 1918-19, whereas the other states opted out as soon as the federal government allowed them to in March 1917. Tasmania was also first with daylight saving in the post-World War II period, readopting it in 1967-68, four years ahead of other states.

The location and size of Tasmania probably makes it more suited to daylight saving than other Australian states, which are larger and warmer. The Apple Isle has a cool temperate climate, not unlike the United Kingdom and parts of Europe and North America. It is small, covering an area of around 68,000 square kilometres (26,000 square miles) or about half the size of England and, excluding small islands, extends roughly from latitude 40.7 degrees to 43.6 degrees south and from longitude 144.6 degrees to 148.3 degrees east. The state doesn’t have to worry about large differences in solar time between west and east or warm evenings. Sunrise and sunset times in capital city Hobart in midsummer would be about 4:30 a.m. and 7:50 p.m. without daylight saving.

Tasmania wasn’t the first Australian state to introduce a daylight saving bill into its parliament. Victoria brought in eight bills between 1908 and 1916 and New South Wales three from 1909 to 1916 before the Commonwealth government moved to bring in nationwide daylight saving. Initially, Tasmania seemed less than enthusiastic about the concept. During a discussion on daylight saving at the May 1915 Premiers’ Conference in Sydney, Tasmanian premier John Earle of the Labor Party quipped: “We anticipate in our state having shortly an electrical system that will be better and cheaper than daylight!”[1]

Despite Earle’s comment, a Daylight Saving Bill to “promote the earlier use of daylight in summer” was brought into the Tasmanian Parliament on 1 July 1915. It would apply for six months each year from September to March. Charles Howroyd, Labor member for Bass, was opposed to the bill as he felt it would be used as an excuse to extend overtime and wanted a committee to inquire into and report on it.

A select committee of five members, including Howroyd, was set up on 30 September. It sent a circular to 100 businesses, trade unions, government bodies, and individuals, seeking their views and pointing out what it saw as the advantages of moving the clock hands:

increased time in daylight for recreation

saving of cost for artificial light

daylight for military training without trenching so much on Saturday afternoon

less use of licensed houses

general benefit to health on account of greater time spent in the open air, and less time in artificially lighted rooms.[2]

The committee met six times and examined 20 witnesses. Support for daylight saving was strong. The transport sector, post office and education department were in favour as were large businesses and unions. Objections were considered from occupational groups who already rose early although the committee felt this affected only a small minority of the community. Also, theatres were worried that people wouldn’t attend while it was still light outside, but this concern was brushed off by the committee. It admitted that it thought the saving in artificial lighting would be small and any advantages for licensed houses minor. The committee saw the benefits relating to recreation and military training as significant but better general health from lower use of artificial light as less important.

An amendment to shift the start time to October was proposed as the weather was still quite wintry in Tasmania in September. Howroyd tried unsuccessfully to get the committee to reject the whole idea. A favourable report was released on 23 December 1915, much later than the scheduled date of 2 November. But the bill went no further.

It was followed up by a Daylight Saving Bill introduced by treasurer Neil Lewis on 2 August 1916. The bill passed through the House of Assembly on 18 August but was held up in the Legislative Council as John Hope of the Anti-Socialist Party and member for the rural electorate of Meander wanted it stopped. However, the motion was lost 12 votes to 4 and the bill was passed, becoming the Daylight Saving Act 1916 on 22 September.

This was Australia’s first daylight saving time legislation. It was to apply from the first Sunday in October until the last Sunday in March each year. Newspapers reported: “Practically everybody is welcoming the innovation. Only farmers and milkmen are growling, because it will shorten their early morning.” Clocks were advanced one hour at 2 a.m. on Sunday 1 October 1916. Daylight saving was applied in all Australian states and territories from 1 January 1917 under federal legislation (see chapter 18: Southern states in and out of sync). This ended on 25 March, the same day that Tasmania reverted to standard time under its own Act.

Many people, especially in the country, were opposed to daylight saving. …

With daylight saving time starting up again in New Zealand on Sunday, I thought I would post an excerpt from my book, The Great Daylight Saving Time Controversy. It’s the first six paragraphs of the chapter on New Zealand, ‘The long road to daylight saving across the ditch’. . . .

“Just as people in Europe and North America talk about “across the pond” to mean the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, “across the ditch” refers to the other side of the Tasman Sea which separates Australia and New Zealand. The country or dominion of New Zealand was the first to officially adopt standard time, in 1868, and was at the forefront of daylight saving with George Vernon Hudson the first person known to advocate it, in 1895. Legislating for it would take longer. Politician Thomas Kay Sidey pursued with daylight saving bills for nearly two decades before New Zealand finally put its clocks forward in summer.

Benjamin Franklin of the United States is credited with sparking the idea of daylight saving and William Willett of the United Kingdom is regarded as the father of the scheme, but New Zealand postal clerk, entomologist and astronomer George Hudson was the first to propose it. On 15 October 1895, he presented a paper, “On seasonal time-adjustment in countries south of lat. 30°”, to the Wellington Philosophical Society. He suggested a two hour change in clock time between 1 October and 1 March. Standard time in New Zealand was then GMT+11:30, half an hour earlier than now.

Many of the benefits Hudson described of advancing the clocks were broadly similar to those used later by Willett and others, as were some of the concerns he addressed. He pointed out that “the early-morning daylight would be utilised, and a long period of daylight leisure would be made available in the evening for cricket, gardening, cycling, or any other outdoor pursuit desired”.[1] Instead of getting up around 7 a.m. and retiring at 11 p.m., his idea was that people would rise at the equivalent of 5 a.m. and go to bed at about 9 p.m., saving two hours of artificial light. But the proposal was met with similar negativity and ridicule often experienced later by Willett. Society members called the idea unscientific and impracticable and the paper wasn’t published in the society’s journal.

Encouraged by positive comments from Christchurch though, where 1,000 copies of his paper were printed and circulated in 1896, Hudson followed this paper with an update, “On seasonal time”, which he delivered to the society on 18 October 1898. He reiterated the main thrust of his argument and then expanded on the benefits of daylight saving and addressed the potential problems.

He felt it was easier to alter the clocks, and to do this in the middle of the night, rather than to expect people to change their hours in the summer months as the measure would involve different work and meal times, adjusting transport timetables and changing business opening hours. Hudson was aware of employees’ concerns that shopkeepers and others might make them work longer, but he said there was legislation already dealing with working hours. He knew that milkmen and people in certain other occupations would have to get up even earlier by clock time but that they were a small minority. He thought the disadvantage to electricity and gas companies would be more than offset by community savings on power. And he knew that theatres and concert halls would suffer as many people would remain outdoors.

But he was sure that the benefits of better health and happiness brought about by extra time spent outside by working people and school children would outweigh any of the alleged drawbacks of turning the clock hands forward in the summer months. He didn’t use the term daylight saving but used “seasonal time” which is perhaps a more accurate description. Unlike Willett, Hudson didn’t seem to pursue with his interest in seasonal time and nor did anyone else in New Zealand as far as we know, including in parliament.” (Or not until a little later.)

In Australia, our treasurer Scott Morrison still wants to reduce the corporate tax rate from 30% to 25%, mainly it seems because the US has reduced its rate from 35% to 21%. I commented as follows on Morrison’s Facebook page …

This is the greatest load of twaddle since climate change denial. There is no evidence that corporate tax cuts lead to growth and jobs. There are so many other factors influencing growth.

The UK has had seven cuts to its corporate rate in 10 years from 30% to 19% and its GDP growth is down to 1.7%. Its top personal rate came down from 50% to 45% in 2013. Its GST rate is 20%.

France’s corporate tax rate has been 33.3% since 2007. GDP growth has increased to 2.3% over the last year after being around 1% for a number of years. Its top personal rate went up to 50.3% in 2012 from about 46% and its GST rate is 20%.

Germany’s corporate tax rate has been 29-30% since 2008. GDP growth has increased from 1.8% to 2.8% over the last year. Its top personal rate is unchanged at 47.5% and GST is unchanged at 19%.

Canada’s corporate rate has been at 26-27% since 2012 after reducing four times from 31.4% in 2008. Growth fell to 0.3% in 2015. Growth is now up to 3.0% despite the top personal rate increasing from 29% to 33% in 2016. It has a social security rate of 14.4%.

The US corporate rate has been around 35% since the late 1980s and overall the economy doesn’t seem to have suffered. Add another 5% on average for state income tax. GDP growth is currently 2.3%. Top personal rate went from 35% to 39.6% in 2013. Social security rate is 21.3%.

Our corporate tax rate has been 30% since 2002 (average rate is 17% and effective rate 10.4%). But our GST is only 10%. Our GDP growth is up to 2.8% although it would be around 1% if federal government expenditure was reduced to equal revenue. Quite a few countries might have a corporate rate lower than ours but they have a much higher GST while personal rates are similar. GDP growth varies among countries but there doesn’t seem to be any correlation between tax rates and GDP growth rates.

Most countries have a large government debt, and tax cuts at this stage will make this worse. As a few commentators have suggested, tax cuts will be like a sugar hit. There might be some short term gains (including for tax havens, I presume) although these will be small and uncertain, but there will be long term pain, especially if there is another world downturn.

We don’t need to get into a race to the bottom with the US. Our investment from overseas grew 39% in six years under Labor and has continued to increase steadily. Trump met with his bankers in the 1990s when he was busy sending his casino broke. One of them said later that talking to Trump was like talking to someone who had skipped economics and accounting classes at college.

The Great Daylight Saving Time Controversy is the encyclopedia or bible of DST. It includes the origins of daylight saving time and the history of the scheme in every country that has ever used it, plus each state of the United States, Australia and Brazil and each Canadian province. Read about the battles between supporters and opponents, the efforts of daylight saving time champions, the chaotic situations that emerged particularly in the US and Canada, and all the pros and cons of the measure.

My latest ebook, The Great Daylight Saving Time Controversy, has just been published by Australian eBook Publisher. It’s available at the various Amazon sites, Kobo, Apple and Google. See links below (Amazon links come up as images; the first one is the Australian site and the second one is the US site).

The book examines the origins of daylight saving, including the historical development of calendars, clocks, standard time, and the idea of changing the clock to give more daylight late in the day. It looks at the history of daylight saving in every country that has ever used the measure. It also analyses daylight saving in each state of the US, Australia and Brazil, and each Canadian province.

It features many intriguing and often prolonged battles between advocates and critics of daylight saving in countries around the world, as well as lighter moments. It highlights the determination of daylight saving time champions such as the UK’s William Willett, the US’s Robert Garland and Harley Staggers, New Zealand’s Thomas Sidey and Tasmania’s John Steer. It delves into the chaotic daylight saving situations that emerged, notably in the US and Canada, but also elsewhere. Every country and sometimes each state has a different and usually controversial story to tell.

See the contents page of the ebook below. Length is about 400 pages in Word/pdf format.

May 1 is known as May Day. It has its origins in ancient pagan festivals and in crop and pastoral cycles in many societies across Europe. May 1 is the start of the warmer six months of the year in the northern hemisphere after often bitterly cold winters and this was cause for celebration with bonfires and dancing. The Druids celebrated May 1 as the day of their Bealtaine, or Beltane, festival or feast. At the same time, Germany and surrounding areas celebrated Walpurgis Night, a similar ceremony.

The religious aspect of May Day continued after the Romans arrived in Britain. They worshipped their goddess of flowers, Flora, on this day. This ceremony had been conducted in romanized Europe for some time. In Britain, the old customs of Bealtaine became part of the Floralia festival. During the Puritan era in the 16th and 17th centuries, May Day became more of a secular celebration. Some religious connections remained though, such as the Catholic custom of paying homage to the Virgin Mary on this day. Many current May Day traditions have their roots in paganism, such as the maypole and the May Queen.

In the United Kingdom, as in many countries, May Day or the first Monday in May is a public holiday. Originally a feast that celebrated the new crops and springtime fertility, May Day has emphasized fetes, carnivals and general merriment for hundreds of years. At many of these gatherings, dancing around the maypole is a popular tradition.

This tall wooden pole is driven into the ground and adorned with ribbons, flowers and other decorations which vary between regions. Dancers hang on to the ribbons and weave around each other as they circle the pole, men or boys in one direction and women or girls in the other. Eventually, the pole is entwined with ribbon and participants finish up at its base. Maypole dancing has its origins in Germanic paganism and is a traditional May Day or Midsummer activity in other parts of Europe.

Morris dancing is another favourite traditional activity on May Day. This is a choreographed dance by groups of dancers with sticks or pieces of cloth, sometimes performed around a maypole or as part of a parade. Morris dancing can be traced to the 15th century and has no ties to paganism. A May Queen is often picked to head a May Day parade. The queen, usually a student from a local secondary school, is dressed in white and reads a speech to start the dancing and other festivities.

Other May Day traditions in England include university students in pagan rituals, playing madrigal music, and dancing at sunrise in celebrations at Durham and Oxford. A Jack in the Green carnival has been revived in towns such as Whitstable, Rochester, Hastings, Bristol and Oxford, where the traditional figure dressed as a tree leads a parade of morris dancers and others. Hordes of motorbike riders set off from London each year in the Maydayrun and travel the 55 miles to Hastings to join its Jack in the Green festivities.

Another May Day festival enjoying a revival is ‘Obby-Oss’, or Hobby Horse, in Padstow, Cornwall. There is maypole dancing and plenty of singing and dancing in the streets. Other Cornish towns hold a Flower Boat Ritual, where a model boat is taken past decorated houses to the beach and set afloat. Maypole dancing and morris dancing are popular there too.

May Day celebrations in Ireland can be tracked back to the pagan Bealtaine festival of feasts and bonfires. More recently, it is known as Mary’s Day. Fire lighting is still carried out in Limerick but not elsewhere, although signs of a revival of this ritual are evident in other parts and by expatriates. Suspending ‘May boughs’ on houses is also less common these days, but is practised by diaspora in parts of North America. A Beltane Fire Festival was resurrected in Scotland at the University of Edinburgh in 1988 and is now attended by a sell-out crowd of 11,500. Other May Day events are held in Scottish towns and cities.

Germany has a May Day slogan of ‘Tanz in den Mai’ or ‘Dance into May’. On the eve of May Day, there are traditional pagan ceremonies such as bonfires and maypole decorating. In western areas, males send their girlfriends a tree or maypole adorned with streamers. May Day itself is popular for picnics and other outings.

In France, men give women a lily sprig, a ritual that started when Charles IX did this on 1 May 1561. A woman traditionally kisses the man who gave her the branch. Vendors set up stalls and sell these sprays and don’t have to pay tax on the profits.

Finland starts May Day festivities with its Walpurgis Night on the eve of the holiday. The event is one of the country’s three largest celebrations, the others being New Year’s Eve and the midsummer Juhannas, and there are bonfires and plenty of eating, drinking and partying, with festivities carrying over to the next day. Similar nights are held in Sweden, Germany, Estonia and Czech Republic. Large picnics are organized in Finnish parks on May Day and political and religious groups use the day for marches and speeches.

May Day has become a traditional occasion for labour groups to commemorate victories such as the eight hour day and women’s right to work in Europe and elsewhere. In Germany, May Day equates with Day of Labour and there are various marches and demonstrations. These events have been marred by violence over the years, although the holding of street fairs in recent times has helped prevent serious disturbances. The United Kingdom has also suffered its share of unrest on this day.

Spain and Portugal have celebrated May Day as a labour day since the end of their dictatorship eras several decades ago. In Italy, traditional May Day celebrations include ‘Concerto del Primo Maggio’, or ‘1 May’s Concert’, attracting a crowd of over 300,000. In Hungary, people dance round ‘May trees’. The UK, Greece, Scandinavian countries and Russia all hold annual parades, meetings and demonstrations to celebrate labour achievements on May Day.

Easter has its origins as a pagan festival where ancient Saxons worshipped Eostre, or Eastre, their goddess of spring. Christian missionaries in the second century converted the pagans and took over the festival, combining it with celebrations of Jesus’ resurrection, which also occurred in spring. Easter used to fall on various days, but the Council of Nicaea determined in 325 CE that it should be held on the Sunday following the full moon after the March 22 equinox. It has been celebrated on this day ever since.

The Easter Vigil on Saturday night is the traditional start to the observance of Easter in Catholic and sometimes other churches. After the service begins in darkness, the Paschal candle is lit representing Jesus’ resurrection. This is followed by various Old Testament stories and of Jesus’ rising, before the lights are turned on. A sermon might be followed by baptisms and Holy Communion. There are variations between churches and some hold the vigil on Sunday at sunrise. Normal services are traditionally held on the Sunday, perhaps with additional festive emphasis such as trumpets and Easter flowers.

Bunnies and eggs

Many of the customs of Easter go back to ancient times, such as the Easter bunny and Easter egg. The earthly image of the Saxon goddess Eostre was a rabbit. References to the Easter bunny appear in German literature from the 1600s. German migrants in the 18th century took the Easter bunny concept to the United States and it is now a common part of Easter celebrations. In fact, the bunny now plays a role in Easter celebrations in a number of countries.

The Easter egg also goes back to pagan times. An egg signifies new life, and it was a pagan tradition to exchange eggs in spring. Sometimes the eggs were colored by putting them in boiling water and adding leaves or flowers. The custom of giving eggs at Easter has carried on to the present day. Real eggs have been replaced with those of plastic, candy or chocolate. Eggs are often put in an Easter basket and hidden by parents who tell their children it has been brought by the Easter bunny and they have to try and find it. Many community, government, tourist and railway organizations, as well as churches and schools, hold an Easter egg hunt where Easter eggs are hidden in a designated area and children have to retrieve them. Egg decorating or painting is undertaken in many countries.

Apart from Easter eggs, various other foods are traditionally associated with this time of year. A Sunday roast is popular in many nations. Another favorite is hot cross buns, with the cross relating to the crucifixion, or the moon’s four quarters. Their origin goes back to Saxon times. The cards people exchange at Easter time often portray an Easter story or include birds and eggs or rabbits or lambs.

Customs in English speaking countries

Around the world, Easter is a time of special church services and family days. Many US cities hold parades where people often wear new clothing. A traditional game is the Easter egg roll where eggs are rolled down a hill. The winner is the person whose egg rolls farthest. The White House hosts a game on its lawn, with children rolling colored eggs with all their might. Egg roll originated in northern United Kingdom and is still played there too. The game probably represents the rock being rolled off of Jesus’ tomb. Egg knocking has been a serious Easter custom in Louisiana since 1956, with people going out of their way to produce eggs with very hard shells and less chance of breaking easily.

Each Shrove Tuesday for more than 500 years, English town Olney has held a pancake race. Participants toss pancakes in frying pans as they race each other along the main street to the church. Another traditional activity is called lifting and heaving. Here, decorated chairs are carried by young men who get a girl to sit on one before they lift it high three times to bring her luck. People also pat one another with a pussy willow branch for good fortune. Morris dancing is another popular custom at Easter time in England.

In Australia, Easter is in autumn. The Royal Easter Show attracts thousands in Sydney to see farm produce and animals, as well as parades, sideshows, rides, fireworks and, this year [2014], Prince William and Kate. The native bilby has replaced the rabbit as the traditional symbol of Easter, as rabbits were introduced into the country and have caused much damage to local flora and fauna. Egg knocking or tapping is also a popular Easter game in Australia.

Customs in Europe

A tradition in Belgium, Netherlands and France is for no church bells to ring for several days over Easter. This represents a message of mourning for Jesus. On the Sunday, when the bells return from the Vatican, children look into the sky for them as parents hide Easter eggs in the garden. Across northern Germany, bonfires are lit on Saturday to symbolize the end of winter. In Scandinavia, children don witches garb and door-knock for sweets. A fascinating tradition in Norway is to read or watch murder mysteries ever since the book “Raid on the Bergen Express” was released at Easter in 1923.

An intriguing Easter custom in central Europe is the practice of men “whipping” or tapping women with a whip made of willow pieces and colored ribbon. This is supposed to keep women healthy and attractive. Women who miss out on this ritual are regarded as lacking in appeal. A woman who has been “whipped” gives a decorated egg or money to the man as thanks. Sometimes the woman throws cold water on the man.

In Italy, the story of Madonna and Jesus after the resurrection is told at the Piazza Garibaldi in Suloma. Thousands of people come to watch each year. The resurrection is announced by St Peter and St John by knocking on the church door. Madonna comes out in a black shawl, sees Jesus, discards the garment and runs to him in a green dress symbolizing hope. She lets go of 12 white doves and her handkerchief is replaced by a red rose as she feels no more anguish.

There are many more Easter traditions around the world. Most of them have some sort of connection to the resurrection, even if that link is not always immediately obvious to someone unfamiliar with a particular custom.

Tomorrow, 20 March 2016, is Palm Sunday. A few years ago, I posted the following article to Helium writing site, now gone …

Palm Sunday is an important celebration in the Christian calendar. It is a movable feast that is always held on the Sunday prior to Easter. The event marks Jesus’ arrival into Jerusalem shortly before his trial and crucifixion. The day is usually associated with worshippers carrying blessed palm leaves or a substitute. A palm frond denotes victory. There are many different and interesting Palm Sunday customs around the world.

It is a real family day in Jordan with church services being well attended. People make crosses out of palm leaves and children take palm fronds and olive branches to church. The service starts with a procession. Later the priest uses a branch to sprinkle parishioners with holy water.

Marigolds are placed in the altar of Eastern Orthodox churches in India when ‘Hosanna’ is called out in recognition of Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem in the lead-up to his trial and hanging. According to legend, St. Thomas the Apostle brought Christianity to India in 52 CE.

The Philippines re-enact Jesus entering Jerusalem in the form of a priest on a horse. Worshippers with palm leaves parade alongside him. Pieces of material are often placed along the path by the women. Afterwards, people attach the fronds on their doors and windows to receive Jesus and repel evil spirits.

Countries in colder climates that don’t support palm trees use branches from other species. In Latvia, one of the pussy willow species, such as the goat willow or grey willow, is used instead. Here the special day is often known as ‘Pussy Willow Sunday’. Traditionally, parents awaken children by striking a willow branch against the door, wall or furniture. In another ritual, people chase and gently slap each other with these branches. Children in Finland put on witches’ garb and ask for sweets and coins at houses in their street. In Fiji, children in white re-enact Jesus’ entrance and sing verses at service.

People in the United States celebrate Palm Sunday by playing sacred music in churches and halls. Plays are popular too. Many people make crosses out of palms and put them in their houses, shops and other businesses. Branches other than palms are commonly used in the US as palm is often unavailable in many parts.

In France and Italy, people are known to burn palm branches during prayer if a storm is approaching. At other times, palms are made into crosses, or fashioned into quite intricate designs, something that is done in Mexico too.

An interesting Palm Sunday custom in Bulgaria is for people whose names are associated with flowers to have their ‘name day’ at this time. Palm Sunday is often known as Flower Sunday. Flowers also play an important role in Palm Sunday in the United Kingdom, Germany and countries in central and eastern Europe. The flowers are blessed and interwoven into the palm leaves.

In England, France and Germany, people still place palms on graves on Palm Sunday. Country people in England leave rags at wells in the hope that the well’s spirit would maintain a nice, clean water supply for the town. The British have used all sorts of alternatives to palm branches, such as willow, boxwood, yew and daffodils. Palm from Spain is now commonly used.

In Malta, olive branches are placed on statues of a suffering Jesus during the Passion, or the time leading up to his death. A branch is often taken home as it is supposed to ward off illness.

People in parts of the Netherlands adorn crosses with bread and sweets. In other parts, residents pay tribute to their ‘Mother of Sorrows’.

Palm Sunday is a grand occasion in Spain. Processions last all week. Floats of up to five tons supported by dozens or even hundreds of people carry images of a suffering Jesus. Women wearing black clothes and holding candles follow priests in purple gowns and hoods. Spain has one of the world’s largest palm groves, with over 11,000 trees. As Palm Sunday approaches, fronds are covered from the sun to reduce their color and fashioned into various forms. People are supposed to don a new garment on Palm Sunday.

If Spain has the largest palm grove, Poland has the biggest palm trees. Contests are held on Palm Sunday for the largest palm. Some are over 100 feet or 30 meters in height, although it should be pointed out that these trees are artificial.

I wrote and posted this article to Bubblews writing site, now gone, a couple of years ago …

It’s 50 years [now 52] since the Beatles toured Australia. They had taken the UK by storm and then the US. In June 1964, it was Australia’s turn. We’d never seen anything like it. Crowds were huge. I was 11 and rode my bike 10 miles to downturn Melbourne but couldn’t get within three blocks of their hotel where they stood on the balcony. In Adelaide, 300,000 people lined the streets between the airport and downtown, half the city’s population.

At school, we walked around the schoolyard singing Beatles’ songs. We combed our hair in the Beatles’ style, straight down over the forehead, with a wave at the end. We avoided the ghastly black plastic Beatle wigs though, on sale at local department stores for two shillings and sixpence or 25 cents. Everyone had their favourite Beatle. Ringo probably led the way, followed by Paul, John and George. They had wide appeal. Even my grandmother liked them.

If a new Beatles song was due to be released, radio stations would announce that it would be first heard at eight o’clock Thursday night, or whenever. You made sure you were turned in to hear it, because you knew it would have a different sound and rhythm to anything you’d heard before. Every song had a fresh, new sound: I Want to Hold Your Hand, Yesterday, All My Loving, Day Tripper, Eleanor Rigby, to name just a few.

The world had never seen anything like it – four mop-top lads from previously unheralded Liverpool took the world by storm with a string of hits. In the US, they filled the top five positions on the hit parade, all at once! I recall a Melbourne radio station’s top 40 had the Beatles filling the first six spots.

The Beatles were a 1960s music and cultural phenomenon that shook the establishment to its core. Old-fashioned teachers, businessmen and politicians, who still supported putting babies born out of wedlock into orphanages, warned us of the dangers. “Beatles” gets 46 million Google hits [now 98 million] and the band hasn’t been around for well over four decades. It’s a legacy that speaks for itself.

The band can be traced back to 1957 when schoolboy John Lennon formed a skiffle band called the Quarrymen. Paul McCartney joined it later that year and George Harrison in 1958. Ringo Starr didn’t come on board until 1962. The band had various names before they became the Beatles: Johnny and the Moondogs, Long John and the Beatles, the Silver Beetles, the Beatles, Silver Beats, Silver Beatles, and finally simplicity won the day and they were called the Beatles again.

Simplicity was the hallmark of their songs too. There never seemed to be a superfluous note or word in any of them. It was good tight pop music. Their first recording contract was worth a penny per single sold, or a farthing for each band member. Two hit singles came in late 1962: Love Me Do and Please Please Me. The hits kept coming in 1963 and by 1964 they had conquered America, and Australia. By the late 1960s, they weren’t running out of good songs.

Early on, the term Beatlemania was coined and the level of hysteria at airports, hotels and concerts was something that had never been seen before. Incessant screaming at concerts by thousands of teenage girls could completely drown out the music. Their concerts only lasted half an hour (plus a support act) but that was the norm back then.

The Beatles were the most successful, acclaimed, innovative and influential band in popular music. Their music is timeless and is still popular after 50 years, including among the younger generations. Most polls of the best music act of all time put the Beatles at the top of the pile. They had more than 40 number one records in the United Kingdom and, according to the Recording Industry Association of America, the Beatles have sold more music units in the United States than anyone else with 177 million.